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10 Weight Loss Myths

So many people have been trying to lose weight, for so long, in so many different ways, that there are now many myths surrounding weight loss and many of them are totally false. Lets examine several of them to determine how they started and why they are untrue.

Myth # 1 – On Nutrition Food Labels, a Serving Size is Equal to a Portion.

Nutrition food labels are notoriously difficult to read and interpret. It is no wonder that things get confusing. When reading the label pay close attention to the data listed per serving size. If the serving size is stated as 1 cup and the container holds 2 cups you must multiple all the stated values x 2 if you eat the entire can or package. Portion size than would equal 2 cups because you ate all of it. To fully understand how to read nutrition labels I will provide a link to the Federal Government website. Click here for more information on interpreting nutrition food labels.

Myth # 2 – Skipping Meals Helps To Lose Weight

Many dieters will skip an entire meal in an attempt to lose weight and from the amount of calories consumed this might make sense if you then don’t consume them later in the day. However there is a big BUT involved here. Skipping meals, specially breakfast, is one of the worst things you can do when you are wanting to lose weight. Skipping a meal slows down your metabolism and means that the calories you do consume are not utilized by your body in the most efficient manner. Breakfast speds up your metabolism after a night sleep and this will help you burn the calories that you do consume.

Tip: Always eat a good sized breakfast. Eggs to supply the protein, fruit for carbohydrates and micro-nutrients, a glass of skim milk for dairy and calcium. This will keep you full and fuel your body in a healthy way.

Myth # 3 – Building Muscle Will Bulk Me Up Not Make Me Look Slim

Building muscle by lifting weight is very helpful when you are losing weight. Muscle burns calories much faster than adipose tissue (fatty tissue) does. Muscle continues to burn calories while you sleep so a good weight training workout is just the thing to rev up your metabolism to lose weight fast.

Tip: New research shows that weight lifting can be done in short spurts of intense activity, followed by giving your body a rest to heal. Exercise on reality tears the muscle in many places and the muscle needs a day to rebuild itself. This is the bodies way of making itself stronger. When doing your weight lifting exercise always do more repetitions before moving to a heavier weight.

Myth # 4 – Eating More Protein Will Help Me Lose Weight

There is no scientific research to back up this claim. If you consume more calories then you expend you will gain weight. It does not matter whether these calories are from protein or fat or carbohydrates they all will be turned into fat if not burned as fuel.

Tip: Protein foods do take longer to digest and therefore make you feel full longer. Eating more protein helps with hunger control while dieting.

Myth # 5 – Carbohydrates are Fattening and Should Be Avoided When Trying To Lose Weight

Carbohydrates are the bodies main fuel source. Vegetables and fruit are carbohydrates and are packed with good nutrients and anti-oxidants that are very necessary for good health. The new food guide suggests that we covers half your plate with fruits and vegetables which are complex carbohydrates. It is the empty carbs we need to steer clear of; candy, soda pop, alcohol and all highly processed foods.

Tip: Do not consume your calories in liquid form. Instead of drinking juice eat the whole fruit instead. This way you are getting the fiber and vitamins as well as the juice of the fruit. It will make you feel full longer and is much healthier for you.

Myth #6 – To Lose Weight I Must Give Up My Favorite Food

The Golden Rule of Weight Loss is Calories In = Calories Burned Period. You should not give up your special foods. That will only lead to your feeling deprived, depressed and unhappy. Eat your favorite foods in moderation. Remember portion control is the way too success.

Tip: Many special foods can be made with less calories without sacrificing taste at all. The internet is full of delicious lower in calorie dessert recipes.

Myth #7 – I Have To Go Hungry To Lose Weight.

There is a difference between true hunger and emotional eating. It may take some time but if you can recognize the difference between the two you are well on your way to your ideal weight. Emotional eating comes on suddenly and you crave a particular food like ice cream or pizza. Real growling stomach hunger is open to many food options.

Tip: Do not feed your feeling; instead feed your body.

Myth # 8 – It Is Safe To Take Dietary Supplements When I Want To Lose Weight

Dietary supplements are generally not recommended for weight loss. Most dietary supplements make you lose weight through an increased frequency of bowel movements, which alters your natural stomach metabolism and causes dehydration and nutritional deficiencies. Some supplements work through eliminating all fat in our diet by excreting it in our stools. This is not recommended as we lose many essential fatty acids which are necessary for good health.

Tip: Only buy dietary supplements from FDA certified sources that you can trust. There is a great variation in the contents of herbal supplements and different suppliers sell the same ingredients in their supplement but in vastly different amounts. Always buy supplements from trusted suppliers.

Myth # 9 – There Are Certain Foods You Should Never Eat When You Are Dieting

All natural unprocessed foods are good to eat when dieting. No one food in itself should be avoided. Remember as stated earlier you need to establish a calorie deficit in order to loss weight. Burn more fuel then you put in the tank.

Tip: Do not starve yourself. It is much better to cut back 10 to 15% on your calorie intake. This will help you lose weight slowly and gradually which is the best way to lose for long term results. This will help to integrate it into your lifestyle for sustained weight loss.

Myth # 10 – I Have A Slow Metabolism and Will Never Be Able To Lose Weight

Wrong! Many of us have slow metabolisms but that does not mean we can not lose weight as well as any other person. Your Resting Metabolism Rate or RMR burns from 65 to 75% of all the calories you consume. That means these calories are burned just to keep you alive; to keep your heart beating, to digest your food to keep your body temperature in the normal range. Dieting is responsible for only a small percentage of the overall calories burned. It is true that with each decade that we age our RMR will decline by about 1-2%. This decline needs to be offset by eating less or being more active. This does not necessarily mean exercise as in gym workouts, work more activity into your daily living naturally by gardening, climbing stairs, walking to the mailbox etc.

Tip: Increase your resting metabolic rate by lifting weights or grandchildren. I regularly get down on the floor and play with my grandchildren and if you are ever outside with them they will yell Run faster grandma run faster. Not all of you are in my age group but you get the picture, simply increase your activity on a daily basis so that your body can burn calories while you sleep.

Take-Aways From Weight Loss Myths

Weight loss plans do not have to be radical or extreme for long term success. Never allow yourself to be overly hungry so that your blood sugar drops too low. Then when you can’t wait for supper and you have a little treat, like just one candy, your pancreas will pump out insulin giving you a spike and it is insulin that makes you store fat. Food needs to be ingested for fuel not for storage.

If you feel you need to turbo charge your weight loss in the beginning you may consider dietary supplements just to give you that welcome kick start where you need to see immediate results. Another place where weight loss pills are useful is if you have reached a plateau and nothing you do seems to move the scales in the right direction. Here is another place where products like Adiphene, a weight loss supplement, can really help.